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Biomedical subjects

G T Bellamy

Publications and source records attributed to G T Bellamy.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Vocational skill assessment of severely mentally retarded adults.

The Trainee Performance Sample, a vocational skills assessment instrument, was revised to enhance content validity and utility in making vocational skill learning placements for severely retarded individuals. The Trainee Performance Sample employs a process measurement approach; i.e., each of the 30 test items (a variety of benchwork tasks) includes both training and correction procedures within the item. To some extent, the examinee's ability to benefit from various training strategies is measured. Psychometric analyses demonstrated that the revised Trainee Performance Sample meets standard test development criteria. Thus, a dynamic approach to vocational skills assessment of severely retarded individuals--one that involves training while testing--has been shown to have both utility and psychometric adequacy.

Aptitude Tests

Manipulation of stimulus features in vocational-skill training of severely retarded individuals.

Fifty-one severely retarded adults were taught a difficult visual discrimination in an assembly task by one of three training techniques: (a) adding and reducing large cue differences on the relevant-shape dimension; (b) adding and fading a redundant-color dimension; or (c) a combination of the two techniques. There were significant differences between training conditions in both trials- and errors-to-criterion performance. These were attributed to differential establishment of stimulus control in the first phase of training, with the combined procedure being the most effective, the color coding/fading next, and the relevant-dimension cue-disparity method the least powerful. These results demonstrated that substantial differences may exist in the efficacy of various vocational-skill training procedures involving manipulation of stimulus features.

Adult